Well-reaming apparatus



W. E. KRAUSE.

WELL REAMING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24. |92o.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET L w. E. KRAUSE. WELL REAMING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24 I920.

Patented J an. 3, 1922.

2 SHEjTS-SHEET 2.

629/WUM0/Y/ -E Kr au's e N!TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. KRAUSE, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, AssIeNon'ro JULIUS 1*. Hanson,

OFYMILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

WELL-REAMING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3,1922.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. KRAUSE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Well- Beaming Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and

. to increase the flow, and also to cut away the surface of the cavity wall of an oil well when the same becomes almost or wholly impervious to the oil contained in the oil bearmg stratum. This sealed condition of the well wall is caused by the same becoming coated with fine sand, paraflin, asphaltum, etc., according to the nature of the stratum formation. The latter condition also freqllliently arises after a well has been shot, t e force of the explosion causing the pores of the oil bearing stratum to become clogged.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an apparatus having cutting blades which are so constructed that they may be efliciently .operated without danger of breakage, and which are so mounted that should breakage occur, the broken parts may readilybe removed from the well along with the rest of the apparatus. Still another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed means for the lower end of the apparatus whereby to space the end blades a proper distance away from the bottom of the well.

With these general objects and advantages in view the invention resides in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which w1ll be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein: I

Figure 1 represents a sectional view of portions of an oil well showing my boring apparatus mounted therein.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the upper end portion of the apparatus.

Figure 3 is a similar view of the intermedlate or cutting blade portion. v

Flgure 4 is also a similar View of the lower end or supportingpart of the apparatus.

Figure 5 is a detail transverse sectional view on the plane of the line 5-5 of Figure 3, and

Figure 6 is a like view on the plane of the line 6-6 of Figure 1.

In the accompanying drawings, referring particularly to Figure 1, it will be seen that I have illustrated a portion of an oil well having a bore 1, the lower portion of which is provided with an enlarged cavity 2 opposite the oil bearing stratum 3 so that the oil may flow into this cavity and form a pool. If this cavity has originally been formed by exploding a quantity of nitroglycerine or the like in the bore 1, the surface of the oil bearing stratum 3 will frequently become impervious to the flow of oil after a greater or lesser period oftime. This sealing up is also caused in other ways as above mentioned. One object of the invention is to cut away the wall of the cavity and consequently remove the surface which is retaining oil within the stratum 3, on the other hand an initial cavity may be formed in the well bore by the use of my apparatus and without the usual explosive, which cavity may be enlarged at any time to increase flow.

The cutting elements of my apparatus include a pair of spring metal blades 4 of appropriate length, the ends of which are bolted to hinge plates 5. The knuckles 6 of the hinge plates 5 are hinged by means of pintles 7 to upper and lower heads 8 and 9 respectively, each of these heads having longitudinally extending channels 10 whereby to house the hinge plates when the blades 4 are inactive and relatively straight as shown in Fig. 3. .In other words, with the blades inactive, the disposition of the hinge plates 5 in the channels 10 will provide a relatively compact structure. The channels 10 of thelower head 9 extend longitudinally thereof on both sides of the pintles 7 so that should the blades 4 break and allow the hinge to hang downwardly, there will still be a compact arrangement which will not interfere with the removal of the cutting device from the well.

.T he upper head 8 is threadedly secured to the lower end of a fluid supply pipe 11 which is formed in a plurality of sections extending to the top of the well and there is connected with a suitable water supply to which water is furnished under pressure. The upper head 8 also has a longitudinal bore aligned with the opening of the pipe 11 and provided with a plurality of longitudinal key-ways 12 in which splines 13 of a connecting tube 14 slide. Thus although the head 8 and the lower end portion of the pipe 11 is slidable .on the connecting tube 14, water under pressure may be supplied from the upper end of the well to the lower head 9, which is hollow and perforated as at 15.

The water after flowing from the .head 9 is pumped from the cavity 2 carrying with it material removed from the surface of the latter. In other words this water is forced upward from the cavity 2 around the supply pipe 11 and through a discharge pipe 16 surrounding the same. This discharge pipe is of greater diameter than the supply pipe and extends from a point adjacent the upper head 8 when the same is in inactive position to the top of the well where it has an outlet pipe 17 connected therewith.

The lower head 9 is spaced a suitable distance away from the bottom of the well by means of a supporting device shown particularly in Figure 4. This consists of an extensible and contractable leg 18 having an enlarged foot 19 on its lower end and a bearing head 20 on its upper end. This head 20 is inserted into a socket 21 in which is also located a bearing block 22, and secured thereto, said head 20- and bearing block 22 having bearing balls 23 located there-between to provide an end thrust bearing. The stem portion of the leg 18 extends through both the head 20 and bearing block 22 to securely connect the two parts of the bearing together, and the latter is rendered water-tight by provision of packing 24 between the bearing block 22 and the stationary head 20. From Flgure 1 it will be seen that the socket portion 21 of the bearing is connected wit the lower head 9 as at 25.

In operating this apparatus, the leg 18 is adjusted to dispose the head 9 a proper distance above the bottom of the well to be bored, and the entire apparatus is lowered into the well, the parts being arranged as her, the lower head being slidable with rein Figure 1. The upper end of the discharge pipe 16 is suitably supported, while the supply pipe 11 is connected with a force pump for supplying water under pressure, the pipe 11 being lowered until the Weight thereof forces the blades 4 outwardly into engagement with the bore of the well, the upper head sliding on the connecting tube 14 and the latter telescoping within the pipe. 11. Rotary movement is then imparted to the supply pipe 11 at the upper end thereof through a' suitable sprocket or other gear 26 driven by any desired mechanism at the top of the well. In view of the fact that the upper and lower heads 8 and 9 respectively are keyed together by means of the connecting tube 14, it is obvious that they will rotate in unison and any twisting of the blades 4 is prevented. After the boring is complete, the blades 4 are retracted and the apparatus raised from the well.

I claim:

1. In a boring apparatus, a rotary memher, a pair of blade carrying heads, one being secured to the rotary member, a stationary supporting member having the other head rotatably mounted. thereon, the length of said supporting member being adjustable to space said rotary member different predetermined distances above the bottom of the well to be bored, a flexible resilient blade attached by its opposite end portions to the heads, said blade being normally relatively straight, biit bowed when in operative position and when the heads have been moved toward each other, and means for revolving said rotary member together with the heads and blade.

2. In a boring apparatus, a rotary member, a pair of blade carrying heads, the upper head being secured to the rotary memspect to the upper head and keyed thereto, each of said heads having a plate receiving channel, a plate hinged to each. of the heads and normally disposedin the channel, a resilient blade carried by the plates and adapted to be bowed outwardly when the heads are moved toward each other, the channel for the lower plate being extended downwardly from the hinge whereby the plate may fall thereinto by gravity in the event that the blade should break.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin.

WILLIAM E. KRAUSE. 

